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Occupational Outlook Handbook > Field of Degree > Philosophy and religion >

Field of degree: Philosophy and religion

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Philosophy and religion field of degree. Employment: 462,210. Median annual wage: $54,000.

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Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2018
Data	Philosophy and religion	All fields
Employment	462,210	55,381,020
Median wage	$54,000	$59,000
Percent employed part time	18	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	64	59
Percent with an advanced degree	57	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion major, 2018
Philosophy and religion major	Major share
Philosophy and religious studies	100%
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2018
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	14%
Management occupations	14
Community and social service occupations	12
Legal occupations	9
Business and financial operations occupations	8
Other	42
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a philosophy and religion degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2019–29	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2018	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2018
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	21%	Doctoral or professional degree	7%	74%
Management analysts	11	Bachelor's degree	2	36
Clergy	4	Bachelor's degree	9	49
Lawyers	4	Doctoral or professional degree	8	93
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	4	50
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	4	Master's degree	2	55
Physicians, all other; and ophthalmologists, except pediatric	4	Doctoral or professional degree	2	100
Personal service managers, all other; entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling; and managers, all other	-2	Bachelor's degree	3	21
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	-5	High school diploma or equivalent	2	5
Chief executives	-10	Bachelor's degree	2	30
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Philosophy and religion,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/philosophy-and-religion/philosophy-and-religion-field-of-degree.htm (visited April 16, 2021).

Last Modified Date: Monday, November 30, 2020